Which gear should an automatic transmission car be in when parked?
1 Answers
For an automatic transmission car, the correct procedure for parking is to engage the P (Park) gear. The proper steps are: after positioning the car in the parking spot, keep the brake pedal pressed and shift to N (Neutral) gear, engage the handbrake, release the foot brake, then turn off the engine, and finally shift to P gear before removing the key. Automatic transmissions have two gears used for parking: P and N. From a structural perspective, both gears can be used for long-term parking. The actual difference between P and N gears lies in their locking mechanisms: N gear is neutral and can be used for short-term parking; P gear is the parking brake, which makes the braking system bear most of the force. Therefore, for long-term parking, it's best to engage P gear last.